How Do You Get A Visa To Mauritania?
Intro
Mauritania is among the 30 least visited countries in the world. It is a country where 90% of the whole land is desert, and it was also the last country to abolish slavery. However, how can you enter this country, which few people have heard of? Below is all the information you need.
Visa-Free (For Certain People)
For those that are lucky enough to be from Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Syria, and Tunisia, you will not need any sort of visa when arriving in Mauritania.
Being from these countries allows you to access visa-free entry into Nouakschott or through the land borders of Mali, Senegal, and Western Sahara.
All Other Countries (VoA)
If you are like me and do not hold citizenship in one of the countries above, you will have to get a Visa on Arrival at a Port Of Entry. The Visa On Arrival is probably one of the simpler VOAs that I have acquired, and it took roughly 5 minutes.
Here is what you need when arriving in Nouakchott airport
55 Euros in Cash (or 60 USD)
A confirmed hotel booking (does not have to be printed, can be shown on phone)
A WhatsApp/contact number from someone in Mauritania (can be a hotel or guide)
A confirmed return flight
Once you land in Nouakchott airport, hang a left to one of the two VOA booths, and you will pay and have your biometrics taken. Once that is done, you will clear immigration, and everything is perfect! You are admitted into Mauritania!
However, I have yet to do the land border crossing into (not legally) Mauritania, so I cannot speak on that. From what I have heard, the process is very similar, but it can take a bit longer depending on how busy the border is during the day.
Final Thoughts
If you are heading to Mauritania and worried about how you are going to get a visa, put those worries aside. As long as you bring 60 USD or 55 Euros, have a confirmed hotel booking (not even for the full duration of your stay), and a phone number that can be from the hotel, the VOA is very simple.
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